Fire alarm system



Nov. 22, 1949 P. ADDORISIO FIRE ALARM SYSTEM Filed A ril 13, 1948INVENTOR Y E N m n A Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEFIRE ALARM SYSTEM Patsy Addorisiq, Port Chum, N. Y.

Application April 13, 1948, Serial No. 20.81!

1 Claim. (Cl. 177-855) This invention relates to fire alarm systems andmore particularly to such systems in which the location of the fire issignalled to a central station, alarms operated in the rooms near theroom in which the fire began, alarms operated in other rooms of thebuilding under the control of an attendant in the central station andsimultaneously a signalling device operated in the fire departmentheadquarters indicating the locality of the building in which the firecommenced.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fire alarm system whichpermits a person in a room or building in which the fire breaks out toimmediately signal occupants of the building or adjoining building ofthis fact, also to simultaneously signal this fact to the firedepartment headquarters and to a central station such as thesuperintendents or janitors apartment or oflice in the case of anapartment house or hotel, which system permits the superintendent orjanitor to signal other occupants of the building or of adjoiningbuildings to apprise them of the existence of the fire. With the firealarm system of this invention, all occupants of the building orofadjacent buildings are signalled immediately upon the breaking out ofa fire, permittin them to escape and the fire department headquarters isalso signalled, indicatingthe location of the fire. Hence thefire-fighting equipment should arrive more promptly with consequentsaving in life and property.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the followindetailed description thereof:

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification andshowing, for purposes of exemplification, a preferred form of thisinvention without limiting the claimed invention to such illustrativeinstance, the single figure is a wiring diagram of a fire alarm systemem; bodying my invention.

In the drawing the different portions of the fire alarm system arerepresented by dotted rectangles. Large rectangle A, which is subdividedinto smaller rectangles B, C, D; E, F, G; and H, I, J, representsdiagrammatically an apartment house, hotel, office building or factory.Rectangles B, C, D represent the rooms or apartments on one floor; E, F,G those on another floor and H, I, J those on still another floor. Therectangles B to J, inclusive, may represent different homes arranged,for example, in groups B, C, D; E, F, G; and H, I, J, respectively; thehomes being so grouped that if a fire breaks out in one home of a givengroup there is danger the fire may spread to other homes in this group.

While the drawing, in the interests of simplicity, indicates onlythreerooms in each group, it will be understood any desired number ofrooms may be included in the group, the exact number depending, ofcourse, on the number of rooms or apartments it is desired to grouptogether; for example, the number of such rooms on each floor, or thenumber of homes grouped together. The term room is used herein in ageneric sense to include a house, apartment, oillce, etc., in each ofwhich a signalling device is disposed.

K represents a central station, such as a Janitor's or superintendentsapartment or ofiice,

or in the case of a group of homes, a station having an attendantpresent at all times. L is the fire department headquarters.

I0 and II are the main electrical power lines. Branch power lines I2 andI3 lead from lines I0 and II, respectively, and pass through rooms 13, Cand D. A carrier wire I4 is associated with branch power lines I2 andI3. Alarms I5, I6 and I1, each desirably in the form of a bell, andvisual signalling devices, such as lamps I5, I6 and II, are connected tolines I2 and It and are located in rooms 13, C, and D, respectlvely, asshown in the drawing. Manually operated switches I8, I9 and 20 areconnected in circuit with lines I3 and I4, the switches being disposedin rooms B, C and D, respectively, where they are readily accessible andare normally in open position. Disposed in central station K is an alarm2I connected to lines It and It, the latter line being in electricalcontact with line I 0. A visual signalling device, such as a lamp 22,isalso connected to lines I4 and I4 and is positionedin central station K.Alarms I5, I6 and I! are connected in parallel with each other and withthe alarm 2I and visual signalling device 22 in central station K. Arelay 23 is connected in circuit with lines I4 and I 4. This relayoperates a switch 24', one contact of which is connected by a line 25'with a line 481, hereinafter described, and the other contact of whichis connected by a line 26' with power line II. A switch 21' is connectedin circuit with lines I4, and 26, the latter line being hereinafterdescribed. ,Switch 21' is disposed in central station K where it isreadily accessible to the attendant in this station.

Branch power lines 24 and 25 lead from power lines I0 and II,respectively, and pass through rooms E, F and G. A carrier wire 26 isassociated with the branch power lines 24 and 25. Alarms 21, 28 and 29and lamps 21', 28' and 29 are connected to lines 24 and 26 and disposed,respectively, in rooms E, F and G. Manually operated switches 30, 3| and32 are positioned in readily accessible places in rooms E, F and G,respectively, and are connect in circuit with lines 25 and 26, as shownin the drawing. Positioned in central station K is a bell or other alarm33 and a visual signalling device 34 is connected in circuit with line26 and a line 34' in electrical contact with line II]. A relay 35 isconnected in circuit with lines 26 and 34'. This relay operates a switch36', one contact of which is connected by a line 31' to line 48 and theother contact of which is connected by line 38' to power line Alarms 21,28 and 29 are connected in parallel with each other and with alarm 33and visual signal 34 in central station K.

Similarly, branch power lines 36, 31 lead from main power lines I!) andII, respectively, pass through rooms H, I and J and have a carrier wire38 associated therewith. Alarm or signalling devices 39, 49 and 4| andlamps 39', 40' and 4| are connected in circuit with lines 36 and 38 andare disposed in rooms H, I and J, respectively,

- which rooms also have therein switches 42, 43 and 44 connected incircuit with lines 31 and 38. An alarm 45 and a visual-signalling device46 are positioned in the central station K. Alarms 39, 49 and 4| areconnected in parallel with each other and with alarm 45 and visualsignal 46 in central station K. Alarm 45 and signal 46 are .connected incircuit with line 38 and a line 46 in electrical contact with power lineIt. A relay 41' is connected in circuit with lines 38 and 46'.

This relay operates a switch 48', one contact of which is connected by aline 49' with line 48 and the other contact of which is operated by aline 56f with power line H. A switch is positioned in central station Kin a line 52 connecting line 36 with line 26. Another switch 53' isdisposed in line 54'. When switch 53' is closed, line 38 through line54' is in electrical communication with line l4.

Each of the visual signal devices 22, 34 and 46 has associated therewithsuitable indicia indicating the location of the alarms in circuittherewith. Thus signalling device 22 has the indicia 3rd indicating thatthe alarms in circuit therewith are on the third floor, the signallingdevice 34 has the indicia 2nd indicating that the alarms in circuittherewith are on the second floor and the signalling device 46 has theindicia "1st associated therewith indicating the alarms in circuittherewith are on the first floor. It will be understood that the drawingshows only a portion of building A and rooms on additional floors areprovided with like signalling devices. Also, while the rooms on eachfloor are grouped together, the rooms on two or more floors may bedisposed in one group with the alarms in each group connected inparallel with each other and with an alarm and visualsignalling devicein central station K.

A pair of lines 48, 49 lead to the fire department headquarters L. Line48 makes electrical contact with lines 25', 31 and 49, as hereinabovedescribed, and line 49 with the power line H), as shown in the drawing.An alarm 50 and a visual signalling device 5| are connected in circuitwith lines 48, 49 and are disposed in the fire department headquartersL. Thus alarm 56 and alarm 2| in the central station K and with alarmsl5, I6 and H in rooms 13, C and D, respectively: with alarm 33 incentral station K and alarms 21, 28 and 29 in rooms E, F and G,respectively; and with alarm and alarms 39, 46 and 4| in rooms H, I andJ, respectively. If any one of the switches l8, I9, 26; 36, 3|, 32; 42,43, 44 is closed, a circuit is completed, which circuit is describedhereinafter more fully, energizing the alarm 50. The fire departmentheadquarters L is provided with one alarm and visual signal for eachbuilding or group of buildings, each such alarm or signal beingassociated with a fire alarm system similar to that shown in the drawingin connection with building A. As shown in the drawing. alarm and visualsignal 5| are in circuit with the alarms in central station K and thosein building A. A second alarm 52 and signal 53 are disposed in firedepartment headquarters L in a circuit containing lines 54, leading tothe portion of the alarm system in a second building. As aboveindicated, any desired number of alarms and signals corresponding to 50,5| and 52, 53 may be used, the number depending on the number ofbuildings in the locality served by the fire department headquarters.Each alarm and signal 50, 5|; 52, 53 is provided with a legend toindicate the exact locality of the building with which the alarm andsignal are connected. Thus the legend 2 W 40, associated with alarm 50,in.- dicates the location of building A; and the legend l0 W 40,associated with alarm 52, indicates the location of the building withwhich alarm 52 is associated, etc.

In operation, should a fire break out, for example, in room B, theoccupant of that room immediately closes switch 8. This completes acircuit from power line H), branch line |2, alarm I5, switch |8, line|3, line H, energizing carrier line l4 so that the signalling devices|5, |6 and I1 and lamps |5', |6' and H are energized, notifying theoccupants of these rooms of the presence of a fire on the same fioor.Simultaneously, alarm 2| and visual signal 22 are energized, notifyingthe attendant in.station K of the presence of the fire on the thirdfloor containing rooms B, C and D. The attendant on closing switch 21'completes a circuit between lines 24, 25, energizing the carrier line 26and the alarms 21, 28 and 29 and lamps 21', 28' and 29', notifying theoccupants on the second floor containing rooms E, F and G of the fire.Also the attendant by closing switch 5| completes a circuit throughlines 36, 31, energizing the carrier line 38 and the alarms 39, 4|! and4| and lamps 39, 40' and 4|.

Simultaneously, the audible alarm 56 and the visual signal 5| located inthe fire department headquarters are energized through relay 23, closingswitch 24' so that current flows through lines 48 and 49, notifying thefiremen of the existence and location of the fire. Upon opening switchl8, relay 23' is deenergized causing switch 24' to open anddiscontinuing the alarm 50.

Should a fire commence in room H, the occupant by closing switch 42energizes alarms 39, 40, 4|, 45 and 50 and lamps 39', 40', 4|, 46 and 5|through the circuits hereinabove described. The attendant in centralstation K by closing switch 5| energizes the alarms 21, 28 and '29 andlamps 21, 28' and 29'. By closing switch 21 also he energizesalarms l5,l6 and I1 and lamps I5, |6' and I1. By closing switch signalling device5| are connectedinparallel with-- 53' and leaving switch 5| open heenergizes alarms l5, l6 and" without energizing alarms 21, 28 and 2!.

It will be noted this invention provides a fire alarm system whichpermits a person in a room in whichthe fire breaks out to automaticallysignal other occupants of the building or of adjoining buildings of theexistence of the fire, to simultaneously signal this fact to the firedepartment headquarters and also to a central station such as thesuperintendents or janitors apartment or oflice. The superintendent, byclosing one or more switches, notifies the other occupants of thebuilding of the existence of the fire, permitting them to escape withconsequent saving of life. The prompt notification of the firedepartment headquarters results in the more prompt arrival of thefire-fighting equipment with consequent saving in property. With thisinvention an alarm is given before a fire makes sumcient headway tocause operation of a thermostatic switch, as is the casein prior knownsystems in which, if the fire starts in a corner remote from thelocation of the thermostatic switch, the fire may cause great damagebefore the thermostatic switch is operated and the firefightingequipment arrives at the scene of the fire.

Since diiferent embodiments ofthe invention could be made withoutdeparting from the scope of this invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:

In a fire alarm system for a plurality of multistory buildingscomprising in combination a series of alarms for each floor of eachbuilding, the individual alarms being connected in parallel and beinglocated in diiferent rooms on said iloor. a-manually operable switch incircuit with each alarm and being located in the same room as the saidalarm, a visual device in circuit with each alarm and located in thesame roomassaidalarm,acentralstation,aseparate alarm in said station inparallel with each of said series of alarms and individual thereto, avisual signalling device in circuit with each of said separate alarms insaid central station, a separate manually operable switch insaid centralstation in circuit with each of said alarms and visual signallingdevices in said central station and individual thereto, closing of eachof said last named manually operable switches causing energization ofall of the alarms and visual signalling devices in the series in circuittherewith, a fire department headquarters, a signalling device in saidfire department headquarters in parallel with all of said firstmentioned series of alarms, said headquarters having a separatesignalling device for each building whereby upon fire breaking out inone room of a building the occupant of said room, upon closing theswitch in said room, immediately energizes the alarms and visualsignallingdevices in certain of the other rooms in said building, alsoenergizes an alarm and visual signalling device in the central stationand simultaneously energizes the signalling device corresponding to saidbuilding in the fire department headquarters and the attendant in thecentral station, upon closing the switches in said station, energizesthe alarms and visual signalling devices in other rooms in saidbuilding.

- PATSY ADDORISIO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references file of this patent:

are of record in the

